Introduction

May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM). Asian-Pacific American Heritage
Month is an opportunity to recognize the diverse culture of Asian Americans and the
accomplishments and contributions they have made.

In 1978 Congress passed a joint Congressional Resolution to commemorate Asian American
Heritage Week during the first week of May (May 1-10). This date was chosen because
two important anniversaries occurred during this time: the arrival of the first Japanese
immigrants in America on May 7, 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad
(by many Chinese laborers) on May 10, 1869. In 1990 Congress voted to expand it from
a week to a month long celebration and in May 1992, the month of May was permanently
designated as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month."

APAHM was officially proclaimed "Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month"
by President Barack Obama in 2012, a celebration of the culture, traditions, and history
of Asians Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.(whitehouse.gov/aapi )